Pericallis plant named &#39;DPRIMDENIM&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Pericallis  cultivar named ‘DPRIMDENIM’ is disclosed, characterized by a very compact and mounded habit and dense branching, early flowers and tolerance to powdery mildew. Additionally all flowers are at the same height. The new variety is a  Pericallis , normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Pericallis hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘DPRIMDENIM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Pericallis cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventor, Gavriel Danziger in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva,Israel. The objective of the breeding program was to produce newPericallis varieties. The open pollination resulting in this new varietywas made during May of 2012.

The seed parent is the unpatented, propriety variety referred to asPericallis ‘CN-13-287’. The pollen parent is unknown as it was an openpollination breeding program. The new variety was discovered in Decemberof 2013 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2012crossing, in a greenhouse in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘DPRIMDENIM’ was firstperformed by terminal vegetative cuttings during January 2014, at agreenhouse in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel. Subsequent propagation byvegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this cultivarare stable and reproduced true to type in multiple generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘DPRIMDENIM’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘DPRIMDENIM’ as a new and distinct Pericalliscultivar:

-   -   1. Very compact and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Early flowering.    -   3. All the flowers occurring at the same height.    -   4. Tolerance to powdery mildew.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘DPRIMDENIM’ are similar to plants of theseed parent, most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of thenew cultivar ‘DPRIMDENIM’ differ in the following;

-   -   1. More compact habit than the seed parent.    -   2. Flowering begins earlier than the seed parent.    -   3. More floriferous than the seed parent.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘DPRIMDENIM’ can be compared to theunpatented commercial variety Pericallis ‘SUSENERABU’, U.S. Plant Pat.No. 16,357. These varieties are similar in most horticulturalcharacteristics, however, ‘DPRIMDENIM’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ produce smaller flowers than plants of        this comparator.    -   2. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ have a light violet flower color        compared to the light blue flower color of ‘SUSENERABU’.    -   3. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ has smaller ray florets than        ‘SUSENERABU’.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘DPRIMDENIM’ can also be compared to theunpatented commercial variety Pericallis ‘Spring Touch Grape’. Thesevarieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however,‘DPRIMDENIM’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ have smaller flowers than plants of        ‘Spring Touch Grape’.    -   2. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ are more compact than plants of        ‘Spring Touch Grape’.    -   3. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ blooms earlier than plants of ‘Spring        Touch Grape’.    -   4. Plants of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ have a light violet flower color        compared to the dark purple flower color of ‘Spring Touch        Grape’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘DPRIMDENIM’ grown in 13 cm pots outdoors in MoshavMishmar Hashiva, Israel. FIG. 2 illustrates in full color multipletypical inflorescence of ‘DPRIMDENIM’. Age of the plant photographed isapproximately 9 weeks from a rooted cutting in a 13 cm pot. Thephotographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colorsmay appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it isas accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Mini Colour Chart 2005 except where general termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘DPRIMDENIM’ plants grown in a greenhouse inMoshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel, under natural lighting. Measurementswere taken during Spring of 2016. The plants were approximately 100 daysold from a rooted cutting in a 13 cm pot. The growing temperature rangedfrom approximately 15° C. to 20° C. during the days, 7° C. to 12° C.during the nights. Measurements and numerical values represent averagesof typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Pericallis hybrida ‘DPRIMDENIM’-   Propagation:    -   -   Time to rooting.—14 days at approximately 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white, color not            accurately measured with RHS chart.-   Plant:    -   -   Growth habit.—Upright.        -   Height.—Approximately 25 cm.        -   Plant spread.—Approximately 40 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate growth.        -   Branching characteristics.—Freely branching.        -   Length of lateral branches.—Approximately 23 cm.        -   Diameter of lateral branches.—Approximately 0.4 cm.        -   Texture of lateral branches.—Slightly pubescent.        -   Internode length.—Approximately 2.5 cm.        -   Strength of stem.—Flexible.        -   Color of lateral branches.—Near Yellow-Green 146B.        -   Aspect/angle of branches.—Straight, occurring at            approximately 30 degree angles.        -   Number of leaves per lateral branch.—Approximately 6.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple Average Length:            Approximately 5.8 cm Average Width: Approximately 6 cm.            Shapc of blade: Sinuate Apex: Acute Base: Sagittate            Attachment: Petiolate Margin: Palmately lobed Texture of top            surface: Glabrous, coarse Texture of bottom surface: Smooth,            wooly obvious venation pattern Appearance top surface: Matte            Appearance bottom surface: Matte, wooly Leaf internode            length: Approximately 4.5 cm. Color: Young foliage upper            side: Near Yellow-Green 146A Young foliage under side: Near            Yellow-Green 148B Mature foliage upper side: Near            Yellow-Green 146A Mature foliage under side: Near            Yellow-Green 148B Venation: Type: Palmate Venation color            upper side: Near Yellow-Green 147D Venation color under            side: Near Yellow-Green 147C.        -   Petiole.—Petiole: fleshy, Shiny slightly ribbed longwise,            flex Length: 1.5 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm Pubescence: No Color:            Near Yellow-Green 147B.-   Flower:    -   -   Bloom period.—Late winter to early summer in Moshav, Mishmar            Hashiva, Israel.        -   Bud.—Bud shape: Globular Bud diameter: Approximately 0.3 cm.            Bud color: Near Green 138A.        -   Inflorescence.—Form: Composite inflorescences positioned            above the foliar plane.        -   Inflorescence.—Diameter: Approximately 5 cm. Depth:            Approximately 0.4 cm. Width of disc: Approximately 1 cm.            Depth of disc: Approximately 0.5 cm.        -   Ray florets.—Number of Ray Florets: 13 Average. Length:            Approximately 2 cm. Width: Approximately 0.7 cm. Apex shape:            Rounded Base: Attenuate Margin: Entire.        -   Color.—        -   Ray florets.—Upper surface at first opening: Near            Violet-Blue 96A Upper surface at maturity: Near Violet-Blue            94A Upper surface at fading: Near Violet-Blue 94B Under            surface at first opening: Near Violet-Blue 91A Under surface            at maturity: Near Violet-Blue 91B Under surface at fading:            Near Violet-Blue 91C.        -   Disc florets.—Number of Disc Florets: 120 Length:            Approximately 0.7 cm. Width: Approximately 0.1 cm. Shape:            Tubular Margin: Entire.        -   Color.—At first opening: Near White 155B and Violet-Blue 96A            At maturity: Near White 155A RHS and Violet-Blue 96A At            fading: Near White 155A RHS and Violet-Blue 96A.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Phyllaries/involucral bracts.—Number: Approximately 14 Sepal            length: Approximately 0.8 cm. Sepal width: Approximately            0.2 cm. Sepal texture: Smooth, glabrous Apex shape: Acute            Margin: Entire Color: Near Yellow-Green 144A.        -   Peduncle.—Peduncle length: Approximately 2.5 cm Peduncle            diameter: Approximately 0.3 cm. Angle: Approximately 30            degrees from center of whorl. Color: Near Yellow-Green 147B            Peduncle texture: Smooth, glabrous.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Disc florets.—Andruecium: Present on disc florets only            Stamens: 70 Anther shape: Rounded Anther length:            Approximately 0.1 cm. Anther color: Near Purple-Violet 81B            Pollen quantity: Abundant.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: 13 Pistil shape: Forked Pistil            length: Approx. 0.5 cm Style length: Approx. 0.3 cm. Style            color: Near Yellow-Green 145D Stigma shape: Decurrent Stigma            color: Near Purple-Violet 80A Ovary diameter: 0.2 cm Ovary            color: Near Yellow-Green 144A.        -   Ray florets.—        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: 1 Pistil shape: Strait Pistil            length: Approx. 0.15 cm Style length: Approx. 0.15 cm. Style            color: Near Yellow-Green Group 145D Stigma shape: Curved out            V shaped Stigma color: Near Violet-Blue N92A Ovary diameter:            0.1 cm Ovary color: Near Yellow-Green 146B.-   Other characteristics:    -   -   Disease and pest resistance.—Better resistance to powdery            mildew than typical of known Pericallis varieties. Neither            resistance nor susceptibility to additional normal diseases            and pests of Pericallis has been observed.        -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance.—Low tolerance.        -   Fruit/seed production.—Abundant seed production. Shape:            oblong Color: Near Brown Group 200B RHS Size: Length:            0.2 cm. Width: 0.05 cm.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Pericallis plantnamed ‘DPRIMDENIM’ as herein illustrated and described.